I realize that "home made trad gear" and "scary" are redundant, but i still have to ask. I had a physical therapist for a back injury, who was a trad climber in the 70's and earlier. He told me they used to use wood blocks and wedges for pro. Anyone got a better one?

It wasn't at all necessarily scary at all. Lots of homemade gear worked great. All the gear you use today basically started in someone's garage or basement at some point. Some classics like Dave Rearick's hard wood nuts actually worked even if you needed a tire iron to clean one after a fall. On the otherhand, some of the manufactured products that came out over the years were completely horrific. SMC Camlocks sucked beyond all belief as did CMI single cable and lobe cams.

The SMC didn't have an approriate cam curve / profile - they rattled out of near parallel-sided cracks at the slightest jiggle of the sling. The CMI cam lobe swiveled 360 degrees around the wire head and, being just a narrow, single cam lobe, they tended to simply "keel over" on their sides if the wire got tugged at all.

those single lobers look pretty freaky, i wouldn't trust a whole rack of those to hold me (all 130lbs). Whats to keep them from pulling? If its just opposing force of those amazing pieces of machinery, I'll take one of those wood ones instead.

I've got some old t-hexes. they are stackable in the crack and have all sorts of cool ways to place them. Of course I am too lazy to go digging through my duffel bag to take a photo of them, but maybe I will eventually.

Well.... i remember using machine nuts on cord when i started. and once did complete a Valley classic with just 'pebbles picked up on the approach' and some slings as inspired by countless evening showings of Vertical Frontier.

But that ain't nothun' on some actually produced gear. Remember the Seismo (sorry CCH, i mean no harm)? it was basically two cam lobes attached to a big bro, only with no spring. to make the 'bro' bigger you just slid in another length of pipe. the cam lobes apparently gave a bit of range flexibility and active protection. they turn up on ebay every once in a long while. i'd love to get ahold of one just to see. someone out there must have one, or at least pictures.

i have also heard tell of, from more than once person, an inflatable pro device. apparently some bag expanded in the crack by filling with air and was supposedly tested to be useful. never saw nor heard any real convincing evidence though. might have been developed for use on the shores of Loch Ness if you know what i mean. Still....